Responsive input units

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a method and device for selecting an application to be displayed onto an output unit or screen, a computer program product and element for carrying out said method, as well as a method and device for determining the output device on which to display said application. A device for selecting an application to be displayed on at least one screen, contains one input unit that is associated with at least a first application unit, and another input unit that is associated with at least a second application unit in which an active input unit is identified, and the screen on which to display the associated application is determined upon identification by the input unit. The device enables an input unit to select an application to be displayed on a screen, which input unit is specially designed for the selected application.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the use of input units to select andcontrol applications for networked output units, such as visual screensetc.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The number of screens, such as cathode ray tube screens, liquid crystaldisplay screens, plasma screens, touch-sensitive screens, etc. hasincreased dramatically during recent years and the number is stillexpected to rise, especially since home electronics and personal goods,rising in numbers, tend to include screens or displays to illustrate,for example, the operation mode, settings and available options. Screenshave become an important interface between man and machine.

This interface thus displays one or several applications on a screen.For the television screen, the main applications including watchingtelevision or video and playing games are currently relatively few. Forthe personal computer screen, however, a variety of tasks and activitiescan be supported. More and more screens have received an identity and anassociation to a network address, and hence have become part of anetworked environment. Being networked screens become generic, i.e. theysupport numerous applications. The basic concept will be that ‘a screenis a screen’. The applications to be supported, apart from the watchingtelevision or video and playing games, as mentioned above, could forexample be, using it as a whiteboard, sending and receiving E-mailmessages, video-conferencing, browsing a photo collection, selectingmusic, to mention a few.

Each application to be displayed on a screen can be controlled by aso-called input unit. For the control of these applications one or twoinput units are typically used. For a television screen one input unitis mainly used, i.e. the remote control, whereas two input units, themouse and the keyboard, are typically used to control a screen connectedto a personal computer.

The applications or activities to be displayed on a screen accordinglyoutnumber the commonly used input units. For this reason, these inputunits have received a general function, i.e. they have become generic.For this reason each application will have to be selected from a menustructure that increases in complexity with the number of applicationsthat can be selected from said structure. Going through menu structures,that have numerous submeans in a search for an application is tiresomeand tends to prevent the user from finding the searched application,rather than directing him towards it. Already after a few steps ofnavigation in the menu structure, people become more reluctant to usethe application. The usability of each such generic input unit will thussuffer from a lengthy and roundabout procedure to select as well ascontrol the desired application.

There is thus a need for a method of enabling quick and easy access toand control of an application when an input unit is used to control ageneric screen.

The state of the prior art in the field of computer peripherals isexemplified by document US 2002/0002490 which discloses a system forinfluencing a web consumer to keep a branded computer input unit thathas a hard-wired or programmable switch that directs the web consumer toa specific web site that is operated by the sponsor of the computerinput unit, thereby influencing the web consumer to continue to accessthe web site of the sponsor when the owner is seeking goods or servicesprovided by the sponsor, and wherein the computer input unit can provideany combination of web navigation, computer input ports, enabling ofe-commerce, telephone communication, and audio reproduction.

This input unit is capable of simplified web navigation by providinguseful features such as scrolling, moving forwards and backwards andzooming. Said unit can further be personalized by programming buttonsfor direct access to selected web sites and by choosing personal imagesto be displayed on the input unit.

Hence an advantage of the computer input unit is that improved webnavigation is provided.

A drawback of the input unit as explained above is that it is restrictedto the use of directed web browsing.

Another drawback of said input unit is that it is restricted to the useof activities on specific web sites to be displayed on computer screens.

Yet another drawback is that said input unit is specially designed tocontrol a single application, on a single screen without being equippedwith intelligence to identify the input unit in action or to determinethe application wanted or to decide on the screen, in case there are anumber of input units, a number of applications and a variety ofdifferent screens.

It would thus be advantageous over prior art to provide a method ofenabling an input unit to select and control an application to bedisplayed on an arbitrary screen.

It would also be advantageous over prior art to provide a method ofenabling an input unit to select and control an application to bedisplayed on a selection of arbitrary screens.

It would further be advantageous over prior art to provide a method ofenabling an input unit to select and control an application to bedisplayed on a screen, which input unit is especially suited forapplications of the same type as the selected application.

In addition it would be advantageous over prior art to provide a methodof enabling an input unit to circumvent the process of searching throughlengthy and complex menu structures to select and control a desiredapplication.

It would furthermore also be advantageous over prior art to provide amethod of enabling an input unit to select an application to bedisplayed on an arbitrary screen, which screen is decided on independence on the strength of a signal that is transmitted by the inputunit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a device in which an inputunit can easily select and control a whole application without the needfor the user to navigate through lengthy and complex menu structures.

It is also an object of the invention to simplify the selection ofapplications when several applications and input units are present.

This object is achieved by a first aspect of the present invention,where a device is provided for selecting an application comprising atleast a first application unit, at least a second application unit, atleast one output unit, a first input unit being associated with at leasta first application unit, a second input unit being associated with atleast a second application unit, and a control unit arranged to identifyan active input unit and to present the associated application on theoutput unit upon the identification of an active input unit.

This object is also achieved by a second aspect of the present inventionwhere a method is provided of selecting an application to be presentedon at least one output unit, a first input unit being associated with atleast a first application and a second input unit being associated withat least a second application, including identifying an active inputunit and resenting the associated application on the output unit uponthe identification of the active input unit.

It is another object of the invention to provide a system with which aninput unit can select and control an application to be displayed on anarbitrary screen.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a system with whichan input unit can select and control an application to be displayed onan arbitrary screen, which screen is determined by the closeness betweensaid screen and said input unit.

These objects are achieved by a third aspect of said invention, where adevice is provided, comprising the features according to the device ofthe first aspect, as well as at least a first output unit, at least asecond output unit, at least two interface units each being related to adifferent output unit, arranged to measure a signal strength of a signalcoming from the input unit, and where the control unit is furtherarranged to select an output unit in dependence on the measurement.

These objects are furthermore achieved by a fourth aspect of the presentinvention, where a method is provided comprising the steps of the methodaccording to the second aspect, the step of determining the output unitfrom at least two output units on which to present the associatedapplication, as well as the steps of measuring the strength of a signalcoming from the input unit at at least two interface units, each relatedto a different output unit, and selecting an output unit in dependenceon the measurement.

In accordance with a fifth aspect of the present invention a device isprovided comprising the features according to the device of the firstaspect, as well as at least one motion sensor arranged to sense amovement of an input unit.

In accordance with a sixth aspect of the present invention a method isprovided comprising the steps of the method according to the secondaspect, as well as the step of sensing a movement of the input unit.

In accordance with a seventh aspect of the present invention a device isprovided comprising the features of the device according to the thirdaspect, as well as a signal strength determination unit, arranged todetermine the highest signal strength measured by the interface units.

In accordance with an eighth aspect of the present invention a method isprovided comprising the steps of the method according to the fourthaspect, as well as the steps of selecting the output unit for which thecorresponding interface unit has measured the highest signal strength.

Thus a device and a method according to the present invention have beendescribed having the following advantages.

The method and device according to the present invention for selectingan application to be presented on an output unit has the advantage overthe prior art in that it enables quick and easy access to theapplication, since the input unit is associated with an application unitof the chosen application, and control of the application, since theinput unit is specially designed for applications of the same type assaid associated application, when the input unit is used to present ordisplay the association on a generic screen.

Another advantage of the device according to the present invention isthat it enables an input unit to select an application to be displayedon a screen, which input unit is specially designed for the selectedapplication.

Yet another advantage of the device according to the present inventionis that it circumvents the process of searching through lengthy andcomplex menu structures when the desired associated application to bedisplayed on an output unit is selected.

Still yet another advantage of the present invention is that it enablesan input unit to select an application to be displayed on a screen,which screen is determined by the strength of a signal that istransmitted by the active input unit.

In relation to certain aspects of the present invention, the method anddevice according to the invention also has the following advantages:

it enables an input unit to select an application to be displayed on anarbitrary screen,

it can also comprise a selection of arbitrary screens on which theselected applications can be displayed,

it further enables an input unit to select an application by usingwireless contact between said input unit and at least one interfaceunit.

These and other objects, features, advantages and alternative aspects tothe present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the artfrom a consideration of the following detailed description taken incombination with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a device for selecting an application to be displayed on ascreen.

FIG. 2 depicts a flowchart of a method of selecting an application to bepresented on an output unit.

FIG. 3 schematically depicts a device for determining on which outputunit to resent the associated application.

FIG. 4 presents a flowchart of a method of selecting the output unit onwhich he application is to be presented.

FIG. 5 illustrates a compact disc as an example of a computer readablemedium.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made to the drawing figures in which variouselements of the present invention will be given in numericaldesignations and in which the invention will be discussed so as toenable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention. It is to beunderstood that the following description is only exemplary of theprinciples of the present invention and should not be viewed asnarrowing the claims that follow.

A first and a second aspect of the present invention will now beexplained with reference to FIG. 1, showing a device for selecting anapplication to be displayed on a screen, and to FIG. 2, depicting aflowchart of a method of selecting an application to be presented on anoutput unit.

A device to select an application to be presented on an output unit isillustrated in FIG. 1. To produce a method of selecting one applicationfrom many applications to be presented on a screen upon action by aninput unit that is specially designed to control applications of thesame type as the selected application, requires intelligence for anumber of reasons. Firstly, to identify which input unit is in action.Secondly, to determine which output unit to launch the chosenapplication on and thirdly, to determine which application to belaunched on said output unit. For these purposes, this device forselecting an application is equipped with a control unit 102 which isfurther connected to a screen 116 functioning as an output unit, toenable presentation of the chosen application on said screen 116. Toenable selection of an application in dependence on which input unit120,122,124 is in action, three input units each containing a motionsensor 126,128,130 are in wireless radio contact with the control unit102 via a respective interface unit 110,112,114. In addition, thecontrol unit 102 is connected to three application units 104,106,108where each application unit is application-specific and each applicationcan be contained in one application unit only, in order to realize theselection of the associated application. There is thus one interfaceunit 110,112,114 per input unit 120,122,124.

There are more interface units and output units than is disclosed anddescribed here. However, they will be further described in relation to athird aspect of this embodiment.

The information about which application to present on the output unitupon an action by a certain input unit 120,122,124 i.e. the associationsbetween the input units 120,122,124 and the specific application units104,106,108 is stored in a database 118 that is connected to the controlunit 102.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, according to a preferred embodiment of amethod of selecting an application to be displayed on a screen 116starts by providing at least two input units 120,122,124 where a firstinput unit 120 is associated with at least a first application unit 104and a second input unit 122 is associated with at least a secondapplication unit 106, step 202. Subsequently, the step of sensing anactive input unit, step 204, comprises sensing a movement by an inputunit 120,122,124 transmitting a radio signal from the input unit120,122,124 to the corresponding interface unit 110,112,114 andreceiving the radio signal transmitted from the input unit 120,122,124in the control unit 102 via the respective interface unit 110,112,114.Thereafter, the control unit identifies the active input unit120,122,124, step 206, and determines the application of the applicationunit 104,106,108 that is associated with said active input unit120,122,124, step 208. The control unit 103 then orders said applicationto be launched on the output unit 116, step 210.

A third and fourth aspect of the present invention will now be explainedwith reference to FIG. 3, schematically depicting a device fordetermining on which output unit to present an associated application,and to FIG. 4, presenting a flowchart of a method of selecting whichoutput device to launch the application on.

According to the present invention there may thus be several outputunits on which applications can be presented.

In FIG. 3 is illustrated a device to determine, for one input unit, theoutput unit on which one associated application is presented. Accordingto this embodiment, said device comprises at least two output units inthe form of two screens 302, 304 connected to a control unit 308, whichis further connected to at least two interface units 310,312, eachcorresponding to a different output unit or screen 302,304, and a signalstrength determination unit 306. The input unit 314, equipped withmotion sensor 316, is in wireless radio contact with the interface units310,312.

The device according to the third aspect of the present invention asillustrated in FIG. 3 preferably contains several input units, severalapplication units, and a database, like the device according to thefirst aspect of the present invention as shown in FIG. 1. For claritythese additional units have been omitted in FIG. 3 to draw the reader'sattention to the central idea behind said third aspect of the presentinvention.

The method according to the fourth aspect of the present inventionincludes a determination of which output unit in the form of a screen302,304 to launch an application on. This determination is based on theproximity of an active input unit 314 to the interface units 310,312each corresponding to a different screen 302,304 and each preferably inthe vicinity of the respective screen 302,304.

This method of determination starts, step 402, by displaying anapplication on a first screen 302, step 404. Upon movement of the activeinput unit 314 the interface units 310,312 that include measurementunits receive a radio signal and measure the strength of said radiosignal that is transmitted by the moving input unit 314. This signalstrength information is then forwarded to the control unit 102,308 whichorders the signal strength determination unit 306 to compare thedifferent signal strengths and determine which signal strength is thehighest. After this determination by the signal strength determinationunit 306 information about which measured signal has the higheststrength is forwarded to the control unit 308. Said control unit 308then determines which interface unit 310,312 has measured this highestsignal strength and selects the output unit 302,304 that corresponds tosaid interface unit 310,312, on which the application is presented.

On the whole the control unit 308 determines whether the active inputunit 314 is closer to the interface unit 310,312 corresponding to thesecond screen or output unit OU2, 304 than the interface unitcorresponding to the first screen or output unit OU1, 302.

Again on the whole, if the input unit is closer to the second screen304, e.g. if the question is answered affirmatively, Y, the displayingof the associated application is changed from the first screen or OU1,302 to the second screen or OU2, 304, whereupon the application will beresumed on said second screen or OU2, 304. If said question is answerednegatively, N, i.e. if said input unit 314, is not closer to the secondscreen or OU2, 304 than the first screen or OU1, 302, the displaying ofthe associated application is continued on the first screen or OU1, 302.

More precisely, the control unit 308 decides to display the applicationon the screen, or output unit 302,304, for which the correspondinginterface unit 310,312 has measured the strongest radio signal. Thecontrol unit 308 thus selects the output unit or screen 302,304 independence on the result of the measurements.

Upon every movement of the active input unit 314 the strength of theradio signal transmitted from said active input unit 314 is measured andin dependence to the result of this measurement an output unit or screen302,304 is selected to display an associated application.

After ending or pausing the display of an associated application on anoutput unit or screen 302,304 the application is resumed on the outputunit 302,304 upon activation of the input unit 314 if the interface unit310,312 corresponding to the output unit 302,304 has measured thestrongest radio signal.

In addition, FIG. 5 illustrates a compact disc 502 as an example of acomputer readable medium, being a computer program, having thereon acomputer program code to make a computer perform the method according tothe invention when said computer program is loaded in the computer whichis included in the device according to the invention.

This invention can be varied in many ways, for instance:

In another embodiment of the present invention the method presents aselection of applications, each associated with the input unit, uponaction by said input unit.

In another embodiment of the present invention the device for selectingan application to be presented on an output unit comprises at least twointerconnected control units.

In another embodiment of the present invention the method resumes thepresentation of a selection of possible applications upon movement ofthe active input unit.

In another embodiment of the present invention the device fordetermining the output unit on which to present the applicationcomprises more than one input unit.

In still another embodiment of the present invention the step ofdetermining the output unit on which to present an application includesmeasuring the strength of a signal coming from at least two interfaceunits each related to a different output unit at at least one inputunit, and selecting an output unit in dependence on the measurement.

In still another embodiment of the present invention the step ofdetermining an output unit on which to present an application includesdetermining the physical position within perception limits of at leastone output unit, of an active input unit in relation to at least twointerface units, each related to a different output unit and selectingan output unit in dependence on the determined position. In this case apositioning signal is either sent from an interface unit or from theactive input unit.

In still another embodiment of the invention the step of identifying theactive input unit includes sensing a signal coming from the input unitupon pressing a button or a key on said input unit.

In a different embodiment of the invention the step of identifying theactive input unit includes sensing a signal coming from the input unitupon activating a touch control or touch-sensitive region positioned onsaid input unit.

In a different embodiment of the invention the step of identifying theactive input unit includes sensing a signal coming from the input unitupon activating a heat-sensitive sensor positioned in said input device.

In a different embodiment of the present invention, the step ofidentifying the active input unit includes sensing a directionalinfra-red (IR) signal coming from the input unit.

In a different embodiment of the present invention the step ofidentifying the active input unit includes sensing a diffuse infra-red(IR) signal coming from the input unit.

In yet a different embodiment of the present invention the step ofidentifying the active input unit includes sensing a microwave signalcoming from the input unit.

In yet a different embodiment of the present invention at least twoapplications are selected to be displayed on the same output unit.

In still yet another embodiment of the present invention one or moreapplications are selected to be displayed on at least two output units.

In still yet another embodiment of the present invention output unitscan be produced by acoustic transmitters i.e. loudspeakers.

In still yet another embodiment of the present invention a selection ofat least one application is presented on one type of output unit, forinstance a screen, whereas the application, upon selection, is launchedon a second type of output unit for instance, a loudspeaker system.

In still yet another embodiment of the present invention a selection ofat least one application is presented by one type of output unit e.g. aloudspeaker system, and the application is launched on the same type ofoutput unit upon selection of said application by applying voicecontrol.

There has thus been described a device and a method according to thepresent invention with the following advantages.

The method of selecting an application to be presented on an output unithas the advantage over the prior art in that it enables a quick and easyaccess to the application, since the input unit is associated with anapplication unit of the chosen application and control of theapplication, since the input unit is specially designed for applicationsof the same type as said associated application, when the input unit isused to present or display the association on a multifunctional, i.e.generic, screen.

The method according to the present invention also has the followingadvantages:

it enables an input unit to select an application to be displayed on anarbitrary screen,

it can also comprise a selection of arbitrary screens, on which theselected applications can be displayed,

it further enables an input unit to select an application by using awireless contact between said input unit and at least one interfaceunit.

Another advantage of the device according to the present invention, isthat it enables an input unit to select an application to be displayedon a screen, which input unit is specially designed for the selectedapplication.

Yet another advantage of the device according to the present inventionis that it circumvents the process of searching through lengthy menustructures when the desired associated application to be displayed on anoutput unit is selected.

Still another advantage of the present invention is that it enables aninput unit to select an application to be displayed on an screen, whichscreen is determined by the strength of a radio signal that istransmitted by the active input unit.

1. Method of selecting an application to be presented on a least oneoutput unit, where a first input unit is associated with at least afirst application and a second input unit is associated with at least asecond application, including identifying an active input unit, andpresenting the associated application on the output unit, upon theidentification of the active input unit.
 2. Method according to claim 1,in which the step of identifying the active input unit, includes sensinga movement of the input unit.
 3. Method according to claim 1, includingdetermining the output unit, from at least two output units on which topresent the associated application.
 4. Method according to claim 3, inwhich the step of determining the output unit includes measuring thestrength of a signal, coming from the input unit at at least twointerface units, each related to a different output unit, and selectingan output unit in dependence on the measurement.
 5. Method according toclaim 4, including selecting the output unit for which the correspondinginterface unit has measured the highest signal strength.
 6. Methodaccording to claim 1, including controlling the selected application bythe active input unit that is specially designed for applications of thesame type as the associated application.
 7. Method according to claim 1,including starting the associated application if said associatedapplication is singular.
 8. Method according to claim 1, in which theassociated application is displayed on a visual screen.
 9. Methodaccording to claim 8, in which the visual screen is a television screen.10. Method according to claim 1, in which the associated application isthe application that was presented when the input unit was used last.11. Method according to claim 1, in which the presenting of theapplication includes resuming the application subsequent to ending orpausing said application.
 12. Method according to claim 1, includingassociating at least one active input unit with at least a first and asecond application after the use of said at least one active input unit.13. Device for selection of an application comprising, at least a firstapplication unit, at least a second application unit, at least oneoutput unit, a first input unit associated with at least a firstapplication unit, a second input unit associated with at least a secondapplication unit, and a control unit, arranged to identify an activeinput unit and present the associated application on the output unitupon the identification of an active input unit.
 14. Device according toclaim 13, comprising, at least one motion sensor arranged to sense amovement of an input unit.
 15. Device according to claim 13, comprisingat least a first output unit, at least a second output unit, at leasttwo signal measurement units, each being related to a different outputunit arranged to measure a signal strength of a signal coming from theinput unit, and where the control unit is further arranged to select anoutput unit in dependence on the measurement.
 16. Device according toclaim 15, comprising a signal strength determination unit arranged todetermine the highest signal strength measured by the signal measurementunits.
 17. Computer program product comprising a computer readablemedium, having thereon, a computer program code to make a computerexecute a procedure, when said program is loaded in the computer, toselect an application to be presented on at least one output unit, wherea first input unit is associated with at least a first application unitand a second input unit is associated with at least a second applicationunit, to identify an active input unit, and to order presentation of theassociated application on the output unit, upon the identification ofthe active input unit.
 18. Computer program element comprising, acomputer program code to make a computer execute a procedure, to selectan application to be presented on a least one output unit, where a firstinput unit is associated with at least a first application unit and asecond input unit is associated with at least a second application unit,to identify an active input unit, and to order presentation of theassociated application on the output unit, upon the identification ofthe active input unit.